Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-11
MISPLACED STATE LINE.
Letter From a Prominent Judicial Office
Concerning the boundary Line.

Concerning the boundary Line.
EDS. REcoRD-UNIoN Senator Goucher,
representing the district composed of the
counties Of Alpine, Mono, Fresno and
Mariposa, has introduced into the Senate a
bill which provides for the correction of
that portion of the boundary line of this
State southeastward from Lake Tahoe.
The bill is predicated ON the report of the
State Engineer to the Legislature, in which
occurs the following:
| call attention to the fact that, by the
last location of the State boundary line
southeastward from Lake Tahoe, a strip of
territory from half TO three quarters of a
mile in width, and for a length unknown,
but presumably many miles, has been
thrown into the State of Nevada from this
State. The law defining the boundary says
that this line shall extend between two
certain points in latitude and longitude.
According to compilations of the Govern
ment land surveys made under my direc-
ton, at the northern end this line strikes
west of the point about one mile; and the
work of the United States geographical
surveys, conducted under the direction of
the War Department. has also shown the
same fact to exist. . The southern
boundary of the State, supposed to be a
straight line, or an arc of great circle, be-
tween two fixed points in latitude and
longitude, according to compilations and
examinations made under my direction, is
not thus straight but has in it a jog, or
offset, of about one mile, at point about
midway on its course. | simply report
these facts; of their importance you will
Judge. The first enumerated, at least is
avid Of o1aar lose nf farritnru tn tho
State, and to the counties of FL Dorado, AL
pine and Mono, at least"
This report may be found in volume L.
of Appendix to Journals of Senate and As
sembly, Twenty-fifth Session, page s, of
the State Engineers report. Now, in or
der that the facts set out in this report may
be more accurately understood, it will be
necessary to know just what the law detin-
ing the boundary says. 1 will quote from
the Act enough for this purpose:
Commencing at the point of intersec-
ton of the 42d degree of north latitude
with the 10th degree of longitude west
from Greenwich. and running south on the
line of the said Tooth degree of west longi-
tude, until it intersects the 39th degree OF
north latitude; thence running in a straight
line in southeasterly direction to the
river Colorado at point where it intelsects
the 35th degree of north latitude"
Thus it appears from the report of our
State Engineer, the point where the 10th
degree of longitude intersects the 39th de-
gree of north latitude is too far in Califor-
mia (as now recognized) about one mile.
No one acquainted with the reputation
of Mr. Hall or of that of his late pains
taking assistant, Mr.. n. King, will doubt
the correctness of their work, which, in
this case, is fully Endorsed by no less an
authority than Captain George NJ. Wheeler,
of the War Department.
The Legislature of this State (see statutes
1853, page GID undertook to have the east
ern boundary of the State correctly estab-
lished, and for that purpose appropriated
S25. 600. The then Governor of Nevada
Territory appointed Butler Ives to ac-
company and act in conjunction with the
Suryeyor-General of this State in defining
and establishing said eastern boundary"
The right of this sovereign State to have
her boundaries properly and correctly es-
tablished is undoubted. That it has not
been so done is apparent. Senator
Goucher's bill proposes to correct this error,
and as it seems to me, ought to become a
law by the vote of every Senator and men,
Der of the Assembly. Our Legislature is
terteining-properlv, believe-propo-
sitions for the expenditure of large sums
of public money for the purchase of the
Bancroft library, for the erection of suit
able monuments to Commodore Sloat, ex-
Governor Irwin, James w. Marshall and
others. Ought not the small sum of IS 600
or $4,000 be set aside to correct and estab-
fish the eastern boundary of this great
State? In justice to the State, in justice to
the counties of Ell Dorado, Alpine, Mono
and Inyo, the resurvey ought TO be ordered
Let not Senator Goucher's bill be forgotten
in the haste to pass less worthy measures.
Pro RONO pURIIcO